Bryan County Recreation Department Director Dr. Samose Mays has received three invitations to give presentations at conferences in New York, Arizona and Florida on identifying a recreational leader's role in the prevention of bullying.

The New York State Recreation and Park Society's conference in Tarrytown, NY, is April 26-28. The Arizona Parks and Recreation Association's conference in Fort McDowell, AZ, is Aug. 11-13. The Florida Recreation and Park Association's conference in Orlando is Aug. 31-Sept. 3. At each gathering, Mays will describe the types and forms of bullying, common motives and locations, the startling statistics associated with childhood bullying, and ways in which recreational leaders can work to end the epidemic.

Mays earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Georgia Southern University and his doctorate in sports management at North Central University in 2016. He has served as Bryan County's recreation director since March 2014. No stranger to public speaking, Mays also serves as an instructor at Georgia Southern University.

“I’m flattered by the invitations I’ve received to speak in New York, Arizona and Florida, and I’ve happily accepted. I think it’s important for everyone who has a career in the recreation field to understand that bullying is a serious problem that isn’t going away. We need to deal with it now, and those who serve as recreation leaders are in a prime spot to be able to do something about the issue. It’s time to utilize our positions and work hard to eradicate bullying, and I’m looking forward to sharing some information on how to accomplish this,” Mays said.